Sleep Apps Help You Track Sleep, But Can They Also Increase Anxiety?

Sleep apps committedness amended remainder done data-driven insights, but caller investigation reveals they whitethorn besides heighten interest successful immoderate users. So who genuinely benefits? 

Study: Sleep successful nan property of technology: nan usage of slumber apps and perceived effect connected slumber and slumber habits. Image credit: Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock.com

Sleep apps are machine applications that way an individual’s sleep. But opinions disagree connected their usefulness. A study published in Frontiers successful Psychology recovered that contempt mostly affirmative experiences, immoderate subgroups study partially antagonistic effects.

How slumber apps way and construe nightly data

Sleep apps are becoming very celebrated among those concerned astir their slumber aliases wide health. There are smartphone-based and dedicated apps, some of which usage wearable sensors embedded successful smartwatches aliases fittingness bands to measurement physiological inputs specified arsenic pulse, temperature, and movement. These are analyzed utilizing predefined algorithms that make outputs specified arsenic slumber latency, duration, and efficiency. Some apps besides study connected slumber stages aliases slumber quality. These apps whitethorn sometimes propose really to amended one’s slumber aliases connection imaginable diagnostic considerations.

Existing studies propose that wearable sensor information tin sometimes upset users and summation their sleep-related worries erstwhile it is asynchronous pinch their perceptions, aliases erstwhile slumber problems are highlighted. This could perchance worsen slumber value aliases promote “orthosomnia”, which is “excessive preoccupation pinch sleep”.

Demographic and sex-specific differences person been reported successful nan measurement users construe slumber app outputs. Insomnia is much communal pinch little acquisition and successful women. Older group and women person much fragmented sleep. Insomnia involves trouble falling dormant aliases staying asleep, aliases waking respective times successful nan early morning. This often leads to accrued attraction to slumber and accrued interest astir it. Also, specified individuals are much apt to usage sleep-promoting strategies, including slumber apps.

There are only a fewer studies connected nan experiences of slumber app users, motivating nan authors of nan existent study to thief capable this investigation gap. Distinguishing experiences based connected personification characteristics could thief foretell who would apt use from these apps. It could besides thief to customize specified apps to trim imaginable harm.

Norwegian study examines slumber app usage and perceptions

The study included 1,002 adults surviving successful Norway who were surveyed astir nan usage of slumber apps and their perceived effects. About 20 % completed nan survey, which asked astir slumber app use, nan type used, and 5 questions each connected nan affirmative and antagonistic effects knowledgeable arsenic a consequence of app use.

Nearly half of adults study slumber app use

The findings showed that 46 % of participants utilized slumber apps. They were much communal among women and individuals nether 50 years of age. This aligns pinch nan reported penchant for wellness and nutrition apps among women and fittingness apps among men.

Smartwatch-based apps were nan astir communal type successful use. Usage rates showed nary relation pinch insomnia aliases acquisition status. This is an unexpected uncovering compared to earlier investigation and whitethorn bespeak differences successful motivations for app use, specified arsenic a wide liking successful wellness alternatively than objective slumber problems.

Frequently reported affirmative effects included “Learned astir ain sleep” and “Perceived usefulness,” pinch 48 % and 43.5 % of users, respectively, agreeing pinch nan statements. Again, 29 % said nan app led them to prioritize sleep. Only 15 % said nan app helped amended their sleep.

Relatively fewer users reported experiencing antagonistic effects. The astir commonly reported antagonistic effects included “More worried astir my sleep” (17.8 %) and “Something incorrect pinch my sleep” (14 %). Most users disagreed pinch nan antagonistic statement, “Increased sleep-related stress.”

The mean people for nan affirmative effects of slumber apps was 14.6, compared pinch 10.8 for nan antagonistic effects. These showed nary relation pinch sex. However, some scores were highest among nan youngest participants (18–35 years), suggesting that they are much powerfully impacted by slumber app use.

Six of nan 10 measured effects of slumber app usage were correlated pinch age. “Prioritize sleep” was agreed pinch by 12 % of older respondents, particularly nan 2 oldest property groups, compared pinch 43 % of those nether 35. “Improved sleep” received statement from 5 % of those aged 51-65, versus 18 % of those aged 18-50.

Previous investigation indicates that younger adults are much apt to usage physics media successful bed, which whitethorn lend to this effect. They were besides much powerfully affected by nan antagonistic statements astir nan app.

Only 2 % of those aged 66+ reported being “Stressed astir my sleep,” compared pinch astir 20–23 % of those aged 18–35, highlighting a important age-related difference. Similarly, younger participants were much apt to study concerns specified arsenic emotion thing was incorrect pinch their slumber aliases accrued worry.

People pinch insomnia much often agreed pinch statements for illustration “Something incorrect pinch my sleep” but not pinch “Led to worse slumber quality”. This pattern, however, was not accordant crossed each analyses, and these associations were not observed successful adjusted regression models, suggesting a wide inclination to interest astir slumber successful this subgroup.

The mean composite scores for antagonistic effects were inversely correlated pinch acquisition and positively correlated pinch insomnia. More knowledgeable group were much apt to work together pinch “Prioritize sleep”, though this was 1 of nan fewer accordant associations observed for acquisition level.

Data-driven insights tin some pass and mislead users

The findings propose that older group are little apt to usage slumber apps and little apt to beryllium affected by them, successful beardown opposition to younger users. This mightiness propose that younger users are much progressive pinch wellness app use, but much responsive to what they find.

Some analyses suggested that insomnia sufferers reported much app-related antagonistic thoughts and worries. The authors propose that this whitethorn beryllium because they person a heightened attraction connected mediocre sleep, coupled pinch persistent arousal, which promotes continued insomnia.

Notably, this shape was inconsistent crossed analyses, particularly aft accommodation for confounding variables, suggesting the request for further study. Based connected nan wide findings, however, nan researchers pass that “sleep apps whitethorn request to beryllium tailored much specifically to individuals pinch slumber disorders.”

The authors mention earlier investigation to stress that slumber apps inaccurately grounds slumber compared pinch nan user's existent acquisition aliases nan golden modular method, polysomnography. “Sleep apps should truthful not switch validated diagnostic slumber assessment”; rather, they whitethorn thief surface for slumber disorders, though further investigation is required to support this suggestion.

Study limitations

The study has respective limitations. The sample was not afloat typical owed to nan usage of a self-selected panel, which whitethorn present bias successful participation. Data were collected solely done questionnaires without objective interviews, raising nan anticipation of misclassification of slumber conditions that whitethorn lucifer insomnia.

The comparatively debased consequence complaint further increases nan consequence of action bias. In addition, nan study questions were not formally validated and did not relationship for nan long of slumber app use. The cross-sectional creation besides prevents immoderate conclusions astir causality aliases guidance of effects.

As each information were self-reported, nan findings whitethorn beryllium influenced by callback bias and communal method bias. Finally, slumber app usage was assessed arsenic life use, limiting penetration into really long aliases strength of usage whitethorn impact outcomes. 

Sleep apps are wide used, but effects alteration by user 

The study suggests that Norwegian residents often usage slumber apps, mostly among group nether 50 and women. Younger group responded much powerfully to feedback from slumber apps, sloppy of whether nan feedback was affirmative aliases negative. Conversely, little knowledgeable group responded much sensitively to antagonistic effects, arsenic did group pinch insomnia. The authors propose that “it whitethorn beryllium wise to be aware patients pinch slumber problems astir specified use.”

Future investigation should attraction connected obtaining nonsubjective information from slumber apps and connected longitudinal information that could alteration causal assessment, on pinch nan semipermanent effect of slumber app usage connected intelligence wellness and behavior.

Download your PDF transcript by clicking here.